If you were still holding out hope that Gerard Butler might hit the battlefields of "300" once more, this time crying out "This, is, Artemisia!," then it's time to let go of those wishes and accept reality: King Leonidas is really and truly gone.

In a recent interview with MTV News, Butler confirmed that he will have nothing to do with "300: Battle of Artemisia," scheduled to hit theaters in August 2013.

"Oh yeah, I'm not doing it," he said. "They're filming [the '300' sequel] right now. I wish them the best, but it didn't [work out]. It wasn't really my thing."

Butler's decision to walk away from the swords and sandals epic is a disappointing one for fans, if not an entirely unsurprising development. The actor's stance on making another movie set in the "300" universe was always wishy-washy at best, most recently telling us last September that we knew more than he did.

"I've heard that I'm in the script. I've heard things, I've seen things," he said. "I honestly don't know what's going on … I have to see a script and talk with them more."

Are you disappointed that Butler won't be back for a Leonidas cameo in the "300" sequel? Tell us in the comments section below or hit us up on Twitter!